Insights

Effective from 1 January 2026, the Rules streamline and replace several existing preferential regimes, including the Highly Qualified Persons Rules and other sector-specific personal tax incentives.

Over the last few years, Malta has emerged as an attractive and credible option, particularly for families looking for a well‑regulated European base that can support long‑term wealth preservation and generational planning.

Companies providing Investment Services must be appropriately authorised by the MFSA and must comply with detailed MFSA Rulebooks. These Rulebooks function as operational manuals, setting out governance, conduct, reporting, risk management, and client protection requirements.

IFRS 15 ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’, establishes a comprehensive framework for recognising revenue in a manner that reflects the transfer of goods or services to a customer. A key objective of the standard is to improve consistency and comparability of revenue recognition practices across different industries and jurisdictions.

The VAT exemption for financial services was never intended to become permanent. When it was introduced in 1977, taxing the sector was technically unfeasible. It was a practical compromise, not a policy choice. Nearly five decades later, that compromise remains largely unchanged, not because the original logic still holds, but because no one has found the political will to address what comes next.

Within the fast-evolving fintech ecosystem, the internal audit function is indispensable, yet it remains frequently underestimated. For regulated fintech firms operating under the supervision of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), a robust internal audit function provides valuable guidance in identifying and mitigating operational, technological and regulatory risks.

Tourism remains one of the pillars of the European economy, contributing to around 10% to the EU’s GDP and supporting millions of jobs across hospitality, transport and other related sectors. Although traditionally characterised by strong seasonality, tourism has increasingly evolved into a year-round activity, driven by changing consumer behaviour, improved connectivity and the rise of digital booking platforms.

With the release of ISA 600 (Revised), effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after 15 December 2023, the IAASB has taken a significant step toward modernising and strengthening the approach to group audits.